Tuesday, May 26, 2015

BLOG TOUR + INTERVIEW + GIVEAWAY: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

I'm so excited to be able to share the start of Katie McGarry's brand new THUNDER ROAD series with you.

~ Author Q+A ~

1) I'm really excited about your new series, Thunder Road! Who was the most difficult character to write?

In
Nowhere But Here, Oz was the most difficult character for me to write.
In this book, someone he loves dearly, someone who is like a mother to
him, is dying.

Growing up, I had the most epic friendship.
Tiffany and I had been a duo our entire lives. It’s rare for me to have a
memory that doesn’t include her. I loved her…like a best friend, like
my sister, like a part of my soul.

She had a genetic disease that
unfortunately took her life. I watched her battle this disease for
years and losing her was like losing a part of my soul. I gave Oz my
sadness, frustration, grief, and then appreciation for the amazing life I
had because I had been blessed, if even for a short time, to have
someone so incredibly special in my life. I also gave him the hope that
after experiencing such a loss that we can still find happiness.

2)
I've read where you like to have a hands-on research experience when
working on your books. You've been to a race, taken kickboxing, etc. for
your Pushing The Limits series. What kind of research did you do for
Nowhere But Here?

I
LOVE doing hands on research for my books. For Nowhere But Here, I
asked then received permission to hang out with a motorcycle club. The
experience was unreal. I was expecting the hardcore biker guys and the
parties, but I was blown away by the sense of loyalty, love of family
and community, and the brotherhood ever present with this group.

These
were men were brought together over their love of motorcycles and the
need to belong to this family. The club I visited was a legit club,
meaning they don’t participate in illegal activities, and they were
absolutely awe-inspiring with their love of family. I took this part of
the club and used it as inspiration in Oz and Emily’s story.

3) If Emily and Oz had their own themes songs, what would they be?

I
love this question! I’m heavily influenced by music and have a playlist
in the back of Nowhere But Here. The song for Oz would be “Hey Brother”
by Avicii. This song is a personal favorite of mine, but the entire
song represents the motorcycle club that Oz wants to be a part of—the
Reign of Terror. They are a close group of men who are like a family to
each other. The lyric: “If they sky comes falling down, for you,
there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do.” That sums up Oz and the
Reign of Terror perfectly. For Emily I choose Jewel’s
“Standing Still.” The song, to me, represents someone who is going
through a particularly rough life journey and they are questioning
everything they have been taught to believe up to this point. This is
exactly what Emily is going through. Once she’s in Kentucky and
surrounded by the men of the Reign of Terror, she learns that what she
believes is the truth regarding her past is a lie and that is a
devastating blow to Emily as this rocks her relationship with her
mother.

4) What 2015 book (that is not your own) are you most excited to read?

Can
I pick more than one? I’m very excited for Jennifer Armentrout’s Every
Last Breath and Huntley Fitzpatrick’s The Boy Next Door.

5) What is the best piece of writing advice you've been given?

I
was once told that if I don’t hurt or laugh while I’m writing, then I’m
not writing the right thing. This has been priceless advice for me.

6)
All of my blog guests are asked this one...brownies, cupcakes or pie?
Yes, it's totally cool to say all three. This is a judgment-free zone.
;)

Love all three, but I do enjoy a fantastic key lime pie!

Thanks Katie!

~ About the Book ~

An
unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about
taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never
imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her
life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe
neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one
who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a
parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But
when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among
relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is
what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a
guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz
wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys.
They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and
sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's
gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from
a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his
dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream
upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes
the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the
most is the one that leads you home.

~ About the Author~

KATIE
MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and
remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover
of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret
University of Kentucky basketball fan.